If you’re concerned about gaining weight from the sugar inside smoothies, then this article is for you. Maybe you’re of the people that are striving to make some changes in their lifestyle to improve their health and lose a few extra pounds. And you may have heard about the incredible health benefits of green smoothies, and now you are interested in trying them to reach your health and weight loss goals.
But quite reasonably, one essential question arises with the smoothie diet! What about the health risks linked with sugar in fruits? As the sweet taste in green smoothies is due to the fruits inside them, but the fruit is high in sugar, will it create a risk for weight gain or diabetes?
This question often bothers many people head due to the lots of misinformation and information out there about sugar and its harmful impacts on the body.
Is There a Difference In the Way How Fructose in Processed Foods and Fructose in Fruit Affect Our Health?
In the first place, it’s necessary to note that there is no science approved dietary conclusions that encourage the reduction or elimination of fruit in your diet for weight loss or to reduce the risk of diabetes. Instead, the contrary is true. Numbers of rival reviewed scientific research show that improved fruit intake reduces the risk of diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders. However, the food industry wants things to look in a way that is convenient for them.
Have you noticed the ad from a few years ago from the corn industry declaring that sugar is simply sugar and your body doesn’t make a difference? As with any advertisement, contemplate its source and the purpose behind it. They want you to believe that fructose corn syrup and natural fructose in fruits have the same impact on your health. A delusion that has led to such healthy consequences in modern society as overweight, obesity, and a big range of metabolic complications and health diseases
* Unfortunately, high fructose corn syrup is in almost every processed food out there. And even when the public demands an end to this, the corn industry will protect itself and assure you that there’s no difference. And, you will happily keep consuming its product.
But is that true?
Yes And No
There is no difference in the fructose in corn syrup and the fructose in the fruit on a molecular level.
Though, there is a distinct difference in how your body reacts to and processes those sugars.
Fresh fruits are high in fiber, mineral, vitamins, and other wholesome that your body necessitates. They also carry glucose and sucrose in addition to fructose. When you eat an apple, banana, or orange, you’re supplying your vital body nutrients that boost it, and the fiber in the fruit slows down the rate with which release of the sugars into your bloodstream happens.
Processed foods like candy, sodas, and other market foods containing fructose do not hold the same quality of fiber and nutrients as whole foods. It is the main reason the sugar being released into the bloodstream quickly, causing your blood sugar levels to spike and later crash. Processed foods are typically high in sugar and unhealthy fat, and at the same time, empty of nutritional value.
Contrary to sugar from the fresh fruit, these sugars can damage your body and lead to a more significant risk for metabolic complications such as diabetes and other health ailments.
Indeed, the main directions for sugar intake from health organizations like the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association refer specifically to the added sugars and do not cover naturally occurring sugars in fruits, fresh vegetables, and other whole foods.
The Journal of the American Medical Association issued an article on the consequences of fructose in the diet. The author, Dr. David S. Ludwig, determined that “excessive consumption of refined sugar has a huge role in the prevalence of obesity and related diseases.” It also asserted that “fructose in its primary form(means whole foods) is not allied with adverse effects.“
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Can Fruit Cause Weight Gain?
Weight gain is, in general, caused by excessive calorie intake and depends on your body’s ability to burn those calories effectively. When you consume more calories(energy) than you can burn, your body stores the excess as body fat, and as a result, you gain weight.
So, seen purely technically, sugar, fat, and all the other things you’ve been told as a cause weight gain do not directly cause it. Yes, they contribute to more calorie intake, but what is really matters is the balance between what you eat and what you burn. Besides, what kind of food you eat also affects your metabolism’s efficiency to burn fat.
Fruit does not cause weight gain. Yes, it has sugar, but as we discussed earlier, it is a healthy sugar that gives fiber and essential nutrients you need for more effective metabolism. Numerous studies have revealed that people with a higher intake of fruit have a lower risk of obesity.
In a 12-year study published in 2004, the International Journal of Obesity revealed that people who increased their consumption of whole fruits and vegetables are at a 24% lower risk of obesity than the participants that lowered consumption.
Source: Changes in intake of fruits and vegetables concerning the risk of obesity and weight gain among middle-aged women. International Journal of Obesity. 28: 1569-1574. DOI:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802795)
The fruit is high in fiber, which is the leading promoter of healthy digestion and is an indispensable element to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Green smoothies will provide you with all the fiber and nutrients from the fruits and veggies, making them a perfect means for your health and weight loss goals.
So here’s what you should know
An abundance of scientific studies has been conducted which unanimously conclude the same thing. The natural sugars found in whole fruits, vegetables, and grains are very beneficial to your health and do not have the same unfavorable side effects as refined and processed sugar.
The fruit has been given to have protecting qualities that reduce your risk for diabetes and other common health risks. The increased intake of fresh fruit also lowers your risk for obesity.
All sugars are not the same quality. If you are concerned about using green smoothies in your diet because of fruit sugars, you can rest assured knowing that there is a big contrast between how your body processes fruit versus refined sugars. So, unless you have a health state that demands closely to monitor all forms of sugar consumption, you can safely add green smoothies for losing weight.
Health Coach Drew
A certified health coach and nutrition expert, whose goal is to take the difficulty out of weight loss and leading a healthy lifestyle and make it simple for everyone. Take The 21-Day Smoothie Diet Challenge
